France gets 5G in 2020

On 16 July, the French government introduced its roadmap to roll out 5G in France. The goal is to make France an integral part of this technological leap forward.

Bidding should be open to acquire 5G frequency bands in order to equip at least one major city by 2020 and provide coverage of the main transport routes by 2025. 5G-compatible terminals should become available by 2019.

A number of telecom operators have already tested the technology, particularly in Bordeaux, and will soon do the same in Ile-de-France. France is still behind compared to other countries such as the UK and South Korea, which have both already assigned frequencies.

5G may also have innovative implications for industries such as telemedicine, intelligent transport systems and agile factories.